Door



Dec. l0, 1929. J. F. OROURKE DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. l5. 1925 i NVENTOR John /T ORou'r/ Dec. l0, 1929. J. F. oRoURKE 1,738,792

l DOOR Filed Nov. 13, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 10, l1929. F, OROURKE 1,738,792

DOOR

Filed Nov. 15, 1925 3 sheets-sheet 3 BY W0( ATTORNEY Parenteel Dec'. 1o, 1929 PATENT OFFICE JOHN F. OROURKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

.'DOOR Application med November 13, 1925. serial No. 68,801.

In structures having adjoining compartments adapted for communication therebetween through one or more openings or door` ways, such as in tunnels or subways having a common wall therebetween, as well as in buildings, particularly for some uses, it is important to be able to permit access from one compartment to another and have assurance that the door between the compartments will automatically close when released by the person who opens the same. This is particularly important in connection with tunnels and subways for vehicular traflic, wherebyin case of iire, spilling of acids or for other reasons,

smoke, gases', or fumes become disseminated in one of the compartments, whereby persons therein may readily make their exit to an adjoining compartment and be assured that the door between the compartments will close rapidly to prevent the smoke etc. from passing into the second named compartment.

The object of my invention isto provide means for so supporting a door that it will automatically close a doorway or opening in a wall or partition between adjoining compartments and will be forced automatically tight and rigidly retained against the wall to prevent the passage of smoke, gases and the like between thecompartments.'

My invention comprises novel details of improvement that will be more fully hereinafter setforth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view illustratmg a portion of a tunnel or subway having two adjoining "compartments 4or tubes embodying my invention; i n

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewv illustrating my improvements in connection with adjoining compartments in a building; I .e

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side viewillustrating my improved door in closed posltlon;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4, 4, in

Fig. 3;

- Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sections, substantially on line 5, 5, in Fig. 3, respectively illustrating the door closed and open;

Fig. 7 is a detail side view illustrating a modification Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8, 8, in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of part of Fig. 7; 55

Fig. 10 is a side view of Fig. 9;

Figs. 11 and 12 are detail plan views illustrating a modification, showing parts in different positions; and

Fig. 13 is a side view of Fig. 12.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated a portion of a tunnel or subway 1 having parallel adjoining compartments or tubes 2, 3 separated by a common vertical wall 4, whereas in Fig. 2 the structure la, having adjoining compartments 2a, 3, dividedlby wall partition 4 is shown vin the conventional v.form of building, such as a ware house. f e

The tunnel or subway 1 may be of any well known`construction, as well as the structure 1a. The opening or doorway 5 in wall 4 may be of any suitable dimensions adapted to permit access between the compartments. At. 6 is a door, preferably of any suitable-or well known ireproof construction, such as of wooden inner members at 7 protected by exterior metal sheets 8, as indicated in Fig. 4. The door V6 is adapted to slide edgewise to open and close the doorway 5 and said door. is shown provided with upper spaced wheels 9 journaled upon strapsor supporting bars 10 in such a manner that said wheels may travel uponA a track 11 suitablys'ecured to wall 4 and spaced therefrom so thatthe door may sli-deedgewise along the wall. l'Ih'etrack 11 is shownvdo'wnwardly inclined so that when thedoor :has been pushed .tol the open posi.- j tientl (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) and is 90 released the door will automatically slide to a position to close the opening or doorway 5, a stop at 12 on wall 4 engaging the door to retain it in closed position, (Fig. 3). I provide means to cause the door to close laterallyT tightly against wall 4 in front of opening or doorway 5 when the door is in the closed position, (Fig. 5), and by preference so arrange the parts that when the door is opened and abuts a stop 13 on wall 4 thedoor will be in a position free from the wall, as indicated in Fig. 6. For such purpose I provide a projection or lug 14 on the door, preferably projecting above its upper edge, adapted to engage a bar 15 that preferably extends inclined substantially parallel with track 11 and inclined in substantially the same way as said track, which bar is space'dlfrom wall 4 as by means of bolts 16 secured in the wall and to said bar. The bar 15 is shown as extending for a portion of its length substantially parallel with wall 4, (Figs. 5 and 6), and at a point near the vertical side 5a of opening or doorway 5, the bar 15 is inclined inwardly toward the wall at 15a, and at 15b, (beyond the part 15a), the bar 15 preferably extends substantially parallel with the wall 4, the bar thereby having an inset portion whereby as the door slides to its closed position by gravity along the downwardly eX- tending track 11 the projection 14 will engage the inclined inset portion 15a of bar 15 and the door will thereby be caused to move bodily laterally so as to press or jamb against the wall 4 when the door is in closed position. At or below the bottom of the door I preferably provide a second bar 17 secured to the wall by bolts 17 b, said second bar having an inset portion at 17 a substantially simllar to the portion 15a of bar 1,5, and the lower part of the door is providedwith a downwardly extending projection 18 adapted, to engage the bar 17, whereby when the projection 18 engages the inset portion 17aL of bar 17 the lower portion of the door will be forced laterally against the wall.

The bolts 16 and 17 b, with the two nuts on each bolt, as illustrated, permit the bars 15 and 17 to be adjusted respecting the distance from the' wall and belocked in. setposition "bythe nuts on opposite sides of the bars to regulate the degree of pressure of the door against ,the wall4 in the closed position of the door.

In accordance withmy invention, the door 6 being maintained closed by reason of the downwardly inclined position of track 11 and by the cooperation of the bars'-15, 17 with the corresponding projections 14, 18 on the door, affords security between adjacent compartments against the escape from one compartment to the other ofsmoke,

gases, fumes, or the like, through a doorway. In the event that there should be the necessity for sudden exit of one or more persons from one compartment to the other, as by reason of the accumulation of smoke, gases, fumes or the like, in one compartment, such person may readily open the door` by sliding it edgewise utilizing a hand grip 19 on the door, and as soon as such person has passed through the doorway into the adjacent safe compartment and has released the door it will automatically slide to its closed position and will be automatically pushed laterally against the wall to prevent the escape of smoke, etc, from one compartment to another. My invention is particularly useful in tunnels and subways for vehicular and pedestrian traffic since the doorways 5 with their automatically closeable doors may be arranged along the common wall 14 between the tubes of the tunnel or subway at anysuitable distances apart, whereby persons in any portion of the tunnel or subway readily may make their exit through a near-by doorway from one compartment to another and be assured that the door will close automatically behind him to prevent smoke, etc. from following through the doorway. My invention is particularly useful in subaqueous tunnels built for vehicular traffic, although it is-also advantageous in tunnels and subways having tracks for trolleys and railway cars' as well as roadways.l

for automobiles. In warehouses and buildings for other purposes my improved door will also be of great advantage yto permit the passage of people from one compartment to another to escape from smoke, gases, fumes and the like. n

In Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 I have illustrated a modified construction in which the inset 15a of bar 15 is illustrated as'movable so that when the projection 14 engagesA the same the projection will bear against said movable portion to reduce friction. As shown in said figures the movable inset portion is shown in the form of a wheel or roller 15., which is Vjournaled upon a pivot' or stud 20 secured' upon bar 15 at the approximate position of the inset portion 15a previously described, so aslto rotate when engaged by the projection 14. The same construction is 'shown applied near the bottom upon the bar 17 which carries a movable inset shown in the form of a roller 17c journaled upon said bar by means of pivot or stud 17d for engagement with projection 18, in the manner described with respect to the movable inset portion 15.

In the form shown in Figs. 11 to 13 I pro- Ivide a movable member 21, shown in cam-like form,pivotally supported upon apivot 22 carried by bar 15, whereby when the door 6 is open the member 21 may be set in the position shown in Fig. 11, and when the door is closed anperson passing through the doorway may operate the member 21 to force its free end against the projection 14 to press or jam the door closed tight against the Wall.

In any of the forms shown a packing or gasket 23 may be provided either along the margin of the doorway, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, or may be provided along the door in the margin of the door, as indicated in Figs. 9 to 13, whereby when the door is forced closed against the wall it will be Amade smoke and gas proof.

While I have illustrated and described a particular form of embodiment of my invention it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the details of construction set forth since the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. A structure of the class described comprising a wall and a doorway in said wall, a door to close said doorway, means slidably supporting the door for edgewise travel relatively to the doorway, a bar carried by the wall and having an inset portion adjacent to the closed position of the door, said door having a projection cooperative with said bar adapted to cause the door while traveling edgewise to move bodily laterally to am its edges tightly against the wall and close the doorway. tightly all around the margin of the door.

2. A structure of the class described comprising a wall and a doorway in said wall, a door to close said doorwaykmeans slidably supporting the door for edgewise travel relatively to the doorway, a bar spaced from the -wall, said bar having a portion substantially fiov parallel with the wall and having an inclined inset portion adjacent to the doorway, said door having a projection cooperative with said bar for causing the door to move bodily laterally against the wall while traveling to closed position and to move away from the wall in open position, and means adjustably securing the bar to the wall to regulate the degree of pressure of the door against. the wall in 'the closed position of the door.

3. A structure as set forth in'claim 2, in which the means securing the bar to the wall comprise bolts secured to the wall supporting the bar, and nuts on the bolts on opposlte sides of the bar to adjust the bar for regulating the degree of pressure of the door against the wall in the closed psition of the door.

4. A structure of the class described comprising a Wall and a doorway in said wall, a door to close said doorway, means slidably supporting the door for edgewise travel relatively to the doorway, a bar carried by the wall and having an inset portion adjacent to the closed positionof the door, said door having a projection located between its vertical edges and cooperative with said bar adapted to cause the doorY to move bodily laterally against the wall while traveling to closed position, a bar adjacent to the lower portion of the door secured to the wall and having an inset portion near the doorway,

tion of the door.

` JOHN F. OROURKE. 

